Toilet flushing apparatus



' Feb. 20, 1940. 1 T. J. D NN 2,190,773

TOILET FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed 001.. 23. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 THor msJ. DUNN 3nventor Feb. 20, 1940. T. J. DUNN 2,190,743

TOILET FLUSH I NG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 23, 1939. zsheets-sheet 2 T ohnsJ. DUNN 3nventor Patented Feb. 20, 1940 I p 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFER2,190,7"73 V TOILET FLUSHING [APPARATUS Thomas J. Dunn, Laurinburg, N.0., assignor of one-half to. Lonnie Hammond, Laurinburg ApplicationOctober 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,793

. v 'iclaims. (01. 4-40) This invention relates to a toilet apparatusand more; especially to a means for flushing toilet devices such ascommodes and urinals. It is a well known fact that the average toiletnow in use, creates much objectionable noise while it is i beingflushed, which continues until the tank from which the water flows fillsup againto original height. This noise is partially due to the manner inwhich the water is introduced into the l'o bowl and also, partially dueto the actuation of the valve which allows the water to again refill thetoilet tank.

It is, therefore, an objectof this invention to provide a toiletflushing apparatus which will serve to minimize the noise which iscreated by the emptying and filling of the water closet as a result of aflushing operation. Broadly speaking,

the invention comprises the combination of a bowl, a source of waterunder pressure ends.

tank disposed intermediate the source of water and the bowl into whichthe water is allowed to accumulate or enter prior to introducing it intothe bowl. This intermediate chamber is so arranged that the water afterentering is not under 5 pressure, but when the toilet is flushed it isallowed to move by gravity into the toilet bowl.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a toilet apparatusof the class described with a novel apparatus for creating a secondaryflush 1 b in the toilet bowl so that the gases from the sewage pipe willnot be allowed to move upwardly into the room while the toilet bowl isbeing refilled to the normal water level after the flush has beencompleted.

Some of theobjects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of atoilet showing 94i certain portions thereof in section and illustratingmy invention;

Figure 2 is a view looking at the left hand sire of Figure 1, showingthe toilet bowl in section;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View looking L45 from the front side ofthe toilet showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l0 denotes aconventional toilet bowl having a seat i l pivoted to the upper sidethereof 450 as at. This toilethas an inlet opening M and an outletopening 15 and when the water is introduced into the bowl it is expelledby well known syphon principles through the outlet. 1

Communicating with the inlet opening I4 is an 55 opening It in the lowerportion of a tank ll,

said tank" havingupper and lower compartments i8 and 19 respectivelytherein. These compartments are separated bya partition 20. The upperportion of the compartment l8 has an opening which isnormally closed byplate 26 5 her 32 serves to keep the valve tightly seated inthe port 29.i i

The valve 3% is secured to the upper end of a vertically disposed rod35, said rodhaving its intermediate portion slidably mounted in thecentral portion of partition 20. The lower end of the rod 35 has a pin36 disposed therein which pin also penetrates suitable slots 3'! inhorizontally disposed lever 38. Lever 33 is pivoted as at 39intermediate its ends to a bracket 48 extending 25 iromthe interiorsidewall of the lower compartment l9.

The other end of the lever 38 projects laterally through a slot H in thesidewall of the tank and extends a substantial distance beyond the 30exterior thereof so that one may engage this lever when it is desired tofiush the toilet. When it is desired to admit water into the compartmentE8 the lever 38 is rotated in a counterclockwise man ner in Figure 1which will raise the valve 36 oil of 35 the opening 29 to allow thewater within the dome 32 to enter the chamber It.

It is very essential that the closing of the valve 30 be somewhatdelayed, therefore, a suitable dash pot 44 is provided, said dash potbeingpiv" oted as at 45 tothe lower portion of the partition 20. Thisdash pot has a piston 36 slidably mounted therein which is connected byway of a piston rod 47, at=a point such as 49 on lever 38. This dash pothas a spring-pressed intake valve 50 5 in the upper end thereof and averyhsmall port 51 in the upper side. Both the valve 5i and the port 51are disposed at a point above the piston flfi. When the lever 38isrotated in a counterclockwise manner in Figure 1 the valve EU will 50automatically open to allow air to freelyenter above the piston so thatpractically no resistance will be offeredby the dashpot to thecounterclockwise rotation of this lever. On the other hand, whenthetoilet has been flushed and the u I have to pass through the smallport As this port is very small, the air will escape comparativelyslowly, and the closing of the valve 3!] to the position as shown inFigure 1 will be somewhat delayed. This will provide sufficient time forthe water under pressure to enter the chamber i3 64 and 65.

for toilet flushing purposes.

The return of the valve 30 to normal position is also somewhat delayedby a bell shaped member 55 which is secured to the rod 35 as at '58.Upon the raising of the rod 35 and the valve 30, during a flushingoperation the bell-shaped apparatus is likewise raised, and when thewater escapes into the chamber l8, air will be trapped in the upperinterior portion of the member 55, which will serve to buoy this memberupwardly. The member 55 returns to the seated position after the waterin compartment 18 escapes and then the water within member 55 is allowedto escape into the compartment ill by way of notches 51 in the lower rimof the bell.

Another function of this. bell shaped member 55 is to prevent water fromescaping from chamber 18 into the compartment :59 therebelow at a pointwhere the rod 35 is slidably mounted in partition 20; It will be notedthat a sleeve 2! serves to slidably confine the rod 35 in an uprightposition. By having this bell-shaped member the air trapped within theupper portion thereof during a flushing operation will serve to preventwater from rising above the top of the sleeve 2!; consequently watercannot escape :from chamber [8 into chamber I9, except through pipes tobe later described;

Also it is necessary to provide some means to allow the air, which isdisplaced by the water coming from dome-shaped member 32 into thecompartment i8, to escape.

bore 58 in the intermediateportion thereof, said bore having ahorizontal bore 59 communicating therewith and also with compartment l8.The lower end of the bore 58 has a second horizontally disposed bore tilwhich allows the air within the bore 58 to escape into compartment 19.Consequently as the water enters and displaces the air in the uppercompartment I8, this air will be allowed to escape into compartment itby way of bores 59, 58 and'fill.

After the water comes into the upper compartment IE it is allowed toescape therefrom into the bowl by means of gravity. The means forconducting this water into the bowl comprises a pair of L-shaped pipes62 the intermediate portions thereof being mounted in the partition 21].The upper ends of these pipes have large horizontal bores 83 therein aswell as smaller bores These bores allow the water within the compartment18 to enter the pipes till. The lower ends of the pipes -62 areconnected-by means of a union 68 to a T-shaped pipe 67, the lower end ofthe T--shaped pipe being adapted to penetrate the opening it in thelower portion of the tank I! as well as theinlet opening M of the bowl.It is seen that after the water is released from the dome 32 into thechamber l8 that the flow therefrom into thebowl will be at its maximumwhen the water level is highest. As the water level lowers beneath holes65, then holes 6d andfinally holes 63, the flow "of the water willgradually decrease.

In order to make this provision the rod 35 has a vertically disposedThese holes 64 and Biprovide a secondary flush which serves to keepwater in the bowl during the flushing operation and thereby preventsewer pipe gases from escaping into the toilet room.

Figure 3 shows a slightly modified form of the invention in which thedome shaped member 32 in the preceding form is omitted. Instead, adiaphragm flush valve is substituted. A pipe 68 leads to the intakechamber 69 of the valve casing 76. This pipe is adapted to have waterunder pressure therein. Disposed within the casing l6 is a main valveseat ll which seat is secured on the upper end of a sleeve guide l2.This guide is mounted for vertical sliding movement within andconcentric with the surrounding pipe (3. The valve seat ll normallyrests on the upper rim of the pipe 13. Secured to the upper end ofsleeve 12 and above the valve seat H is a leather cup washer "it, thedownturned rim of which is adapted to expand against the interior ofbore it within an inverted metallic cup member "5, said member 76 beingheld in a stationary position within the casing 10. Under normal con-'-diti0ns the water pressure enters from pipe 68 into compartment 39from whence it flows upwardly through a small bore TI and into chamber.

'55. This pressure in chamber E5 on the top of the valve seat H and thecup washer M tends to push these members downwardly to cause the valveseat to fit on top of the upper rim of pipe 13 and thereby prevent anywater from escaping from compartment 15 into the pipe 13. It will benoted however that the guide sleeve '32 has a bore 18in the upper endthereof which is normally closed by a valve 79, said valve having a stem86 extending downwardly therefrom, the

lower end of which is disposed in close proximity to a horizontallyslidably mounted pin 8i. This pin is normally pressed to the leftagainst the right handend of an operating handle $2 by means of asuitable compressed spring 83. Since the left-hand end of the pin 8|engages the center of the right hand end of the operating handle, it isevident that when the free end of this handle is rotated in anydirection the pin 8i will be pushed to the right against the lower endof valve stem 80.x When this is done the water which is stored underpressure within the compartment l5 will be allowed to flow downwardlyand escape through the opening Tit-from whence it will flow into a pipe85. Upon the release of the water from the compartment E5, the pressurewithin the chamber 63 will be greater than the pressure within thecompartment '55; consequently, the sleeve 72 together with thecup-shaped member '63 will move upwardly and at the same time unseat thevalve H to allow the water to flow in a comparatively large stream 69over the upper rim of pipe l3 and then downwardly into pipe 85. g l

The pipe 85 extends downwardly and intoa tank 86. The lower end of thepipe 35 is curved to a substantially horizontal position as at 85a andit will be noted that the curved portion is sure pipe 6'! through theabove described valve mechanism into the upper compartment 90, it isallowed to escape therefrom by way of gravity 2,190,773 7 into the, bowlIt in a manner similar to that in the preceding form.

It is seen that the partition 8'! within the tank 86 has a pair of pipes9| extending upwardly therefrom, said pipes having holes 92, 93 and 94prising a water tank, a pipe establishing comtherein which serve asescape ports through which it the water is allowed to pass from thecompartment 953. These holes are progressively smaller, The

the larger being iii? and the smaller being 94. lower ends of pipeiiiare connected to T-member 95 the lower end of said member is disposedin" the opening M. i

In order to provide means for the air to escape upon the filling of thecompartment 90 with water, a pipe vent 9'! is provided the upper end ofwhich is disposed in close proximity to the top of compartment 90 andthe lower end penetrating the partition M. This pipe will allow the airto escape or to enter as the water is entering or leaving thecompartment 95]. This tank 86 is also provided with a door 98 which issecured to the upper sideof the tank byany suitable means such as studbolts 99. This door may be removed when it is desiredto inspecttheinterior or compartment 9B.

In the drawings and ventionand although specific terms have beenemployed they are used in a generic and descrip tive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention beingset forth inthe i appended claims,

prising a water tank, a pipe establishing communication between the tankand the bowl, saidpipe having a plurality of holes therein disposed atdifferent levels in the tank, means for admitting a Volume of water tothe tank at a rate of flow which is in excess of the rate of flowthrough said holes. i

,3. Toilet flushing apparatus comprising a tank, a pipe penetrating thetank and having a plurality of ports therein at different levels, meansspecification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of theinfor admitting a predetermined quantity of water to the tank to flowthrough said ports to flush the toilet, the size of the portsdiminishing from the highest level to the lowest level.

l. Apparatus for flushing a toilet bowl, communication between the tankand the bowl, said pipe having a plurality of holes therein disposed atdifferent levels in the tank, means for admitting a'volurne of water, tothe tank at a rate of fiow which is in excess of the rate of flowthrough said holes, the size of the holes in said pipe diminishing fromthe highest level to the lowermost level.

stored Water to the tank, and means associated with the dischargepipeifor gradually diminishing the rate of flow ofwater from the tank tothe bowl after the stored water has been admitted to the tank.

6. Apparatus for supplying flushing water to a toilet bowlcoinprising atank, a discharge pipe leading from, the tank to the bowl, the upperportion of the discharge pipe extending va substantial distance andhaving a plurality of ports therein, the ports increasing in size indirect proportion to their distance from the bottom of the tank, andmeans for admitting Water to the, tank at a rate greater than the rateof overflow.

'7. Apparatus for supplying flushing water to a toilet bowl comprising atank, a discharge pipe leading from the tank to the bowl, the upperportion of the dischargepipe extending a substantial distance above thebottom of the tank and having a plurality of ports therein, the portsincreasing in size in direct proportion to their distance from thebottom of the tank, a storage compartment for Water disposed above thetank, a valve in the storage compartment for establishing communicationbetween the compartment and the tank, means penetrating the tank andconnected to the valve for opening the valve to flow into the tank.

THOMAS J. DUNN.

